10/25/2004Hudson Valley Community College Offers Certificate to Facilitate Transfer to All SUNY Schools

With a record number of local high school students choosing to begin their higher education at Hudson Valley Community College, the college has established a program for those who plan to transfer to a State University of New York (SUNY) school after graduation.

The General Education Certificate, recently approved by the New York State Department of Education, allows Hudson Valley students to take all the core courses required for a SUNY undergraduate degree. The 10-course General Education core curriculum is comprised of courses in: mathematics, the natural sciences, social science, American history, Western and world civilizations, the humanities, the arts, basic communication and foreign languages.

In most cases, all courses will transfer to the SUNY college or university of your choice. Students may pursue the certificate while attending part-time or while enrolled in a degree program at the college.

Students choosing to complete the General Education Certificate, which can be accomplished in one year, will save between $2,500 to $3,200, compared to the cost of two years at a SUNY college or university center.

This program also may be started by students taking courses through Hudson Valley's College in the High School, which currently enrolls nearly 1,900 students at 29 high schools around the region. Many of the courses that fulfill the General Education requirements also are available online from Hudson Valley.

Many Hudson Valley Community College students move on to SUNY schools following their graduation. In all, 27 percent of those transferring after graduation attend the University at Albany, according to a recent survey by the college's Center for Careers & Employment. Other top transfer schools include SUNY Institute of Technology at Utica/Rome and SUNY Colleges at Cortland and Oneonta.

Founded in 1953, Hudson Valley Community College offers more than 50 degree and certificate programs in four academic divisions: Business; Engineering and Industrial Technologies; Health Science; and Liberal Arts and Sciences; and an Educational Opportunity Center for academic and career training. One of 30 community colleges in the State University of New York system, it has an enrollment of more than 11,000 students, and is known as a leader in distance learning initiatives and workforce training. Hudson Valley has nearly 60,000 alumni.